Works of Joseph Hall, Section 51
SECTION LI.
Power of Reforming abuſes giuen to the Church: and the iſſue of the neglect of it.YOu that can grant there will be corruptions in all other Churches, will endure none in ours: If England ſhould hauehave either vnleauened Wafers, or drunken LoueLove-feaſts (though no other blemiſhes) ſhee could not but bee Babylon: We enuy not your fauours: Theſe, or whatſoeuer like enormities, Chriſt hath giuen power vntounto his Church to reforme: but what if the Church neglect to vſe it? What if thoſe euils, which are brought in, by humane frailty, will not by diuine authority be purged out?Barr. againſt Gyff. p. 27. & 88. Now the errour (by your doctrine) is growne fundamentall; ſo Chriſt is loſt, and the foundation razed: if we ſhall then aſſume (againſt our friends, to conuince our enemies) The Church of Geneua hath beene ſeriouſly dealt with, in this corruption, and diſſwaded by vehement importunity, yet ſtill perſiſteth: How can you free them, and charge vsus? ſee how we louelove to be miſerable, with company. This power to purge out all corruptions, Chriſt hath not giuen vsus: if he hath giuen it you; you muſt firſt beginne to purge out your ſelues: you hauehave done it; but ſtill there remaine ſome:Troubles and Excommunications at Amſterdam. An tu ſu…s Eccleſia es… Et qui te offenderit à Chriſto exclu… tur. Hieron. Epiphan. Cypr. Solus in coelum aſcend. Pup…anus? Et ad Aceſu…m Nouatianum Conſtan. Erigita tibi ſcalam Aceſi, & ad coelum ſolus aſcendito. Socr. l. 1. c. 7. would God we had as much execution as power: Our Church ſhould be as cleane as yours is Schiſmaticall. If you ſhould meaſure faculties by their exerciſe; Naturall reſt ſhould be the greateſt enemy to …ertue: and the ſolitary Chriſtian ſhould be miſerable: This power of ours is not d…ad, but ſleepeth: When it awaketh vntounto more frequent vſe, (which we earneſtly pray for) looke you for the firſt handſell of it: None can bee more worthy: as it is, we offend not more in defect than you in exceſſe: Of whom that your Laxarello of Amſterdam, G. I. could ſay, that you hauehave Excommunication as ready as a Prel…e hath a Priſon: Chriſt is in many that feele him not; but we want not the power oney, but the preſence of Chriſt: How ſo? he was with vsus while you were here: Did he depart with you? will the Separatiſts ingroſſe our Sauiour to themſelues, and (as Cyprian ſaid of Popianus) goe to Heauen alone? yea, confine the God of Heauen to Amſterdam? What inſolence is this? we hauehave him in his Word: we hauehave him in his Sacraments: we hauehave him in our hearts: we hauehave him in our profeſſion; yet this enemy dare ſay, wee want him: Wherein? I ſuppoſe in our cenſures: Wee hauehave Peters keyes (as his true ſucceſſors both in office and doctrine:) our fault is, that we vſe them not as you would: What Church doth ſo? your firſt Martyr doth as zealouſly inueigh againſt the practiſe of Geneua,Bar. Gyff. ref. So ſome of their owne hauehave termed their Excommunication. Confeſſ. by M. Iohnſ. Inquirie pag. 65. and all other Reformed Congregations in this point, as againſt vsus: both for the woodden Dagger (as he termes it) of ſuſpenſion, and for their Conſiſtoriall Excommunication. Woe were to all the World, if Chriſt ſhould limit his preſence onelyonly to your faſhions: Here you found him, and here you left him▪ Would to God we did no more grieue him with our ſins, than you pleaſe him in your preſumptuous cenſures: in the reſt, you raile againſt our Prelates and vsus: Can any man thinke that Chriſt hath left peaceable ſpirits, to goe dwell with Railers? Indeed, yours is free-hold: ſo you would hauehave it: free from ſubiection, free from obedience: This is looſeneſſe, more than liberty: You hauehave broken the bonds, and caſt the cords from you: but you miſ-call ou… tenure: Wee hate villenage no leſſe than you hate peace, and hold (in capite) of him, that is, the head of his body,Coloſſ. 1.18. the Church… vnderunder whoſe eaſie yoke wee doe willingly ſtoope in a ſweet Chriſtian freedome; abhorring and reprouing, and therefore (notwithſtanding our perſonall Communion) auoiding all abominations: In theſe two reſpects therefore of our confuſion, and bondage, wee hauehave well ſeene in this Diſcourſe, how iuſtly your Sion accounts vsus Babylon: ſince it is apparent for the one, that here is neither confuſion, nor Babyloniſh, nor without ſeparation: For the other, no bondage, no ſeruility: Our Prelates being our Fathers,Amari Parens & Epiſcopus debet, non timeri. Hier. ad Theophilum. not our Maſters: and if Lords for their externall dignity, yet not Lords of our Faith: and if both theſe your reſpects were ſo, yet ſo long as we doe inuiolably hold the foundation, both directly, and by neceſſary ſequell; any Railer may terme vsus, but no Separatiſt ſhall proue vsus Babylon: you may flie whither you lift: would God yet further, vnleſſe you had more louelove.
SEP.
Maſter H. hauing formerly expoſtulated with vsus our ſuppoſed impietie in forſaking a ceremonious Babylon in England, proceeds in the next place, to lay downe our madneſſe in chuſing a ſubſtantiall Babylon in Amſterdam: and if it be ſo found by due triall as he ſuggeſteth, it is hard to ſay, whether our impietie or madneſſe bee the greater. Belike Maſter H. thinkes wee gather Churches here by towne-rowes, as they doe in England, and that all within the Pariſh Proceſsion are of the ſame Church. Wherfore elſe tels he vsus of Iewes, Arrians and Anabaptiſts, with whom we hauehave nothing common but the Streets and Market place? It is the condition of the Church to liue in the World, and to hauehave ciuill ſociety with the men of his World, 1 Cor. 5.10. Ioh. 17.13.
But what is this to the ſpirituall Communion of the Saints, in the fellowſhip of the Goſpell, wherein they are ſeparated, and ſanctified from the World vntounto the Lord? Ioh. 17.16. 1 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18.